ecretary:   Mrs Oona Hickson

Contact Details   Mob:   07932 733332

Email:   oonahickson@gmail.com

Entries to:   The Point to Point Racing Co Ltd

Entries close:   Monday 21st November 2024 12.30pm

Races: 4 and 5 year old Maiden (2m4f), Ladies Open, Mens Open (2m4f), Restricted, Conditions (L2), Maiden 

First Race:   12.00 noon

ENTRY FEES  £50 per entry per race - NB. £50  2nd entry same horse £25 (Non refundable in event of abandonment)

Larkhill on Salisbury Plain hosts the first of its seven scheduled point to point meetings on Sunday 1^st December when the Hursley Hambledon holds their fixture. The busiest point to point course in the country with thirteen individual fences including fences 4 and 8 that have been rebuilt since last season is able to race when other courses are waterlogged and following the effects of Storm Bert there are not anticipated to be any problems. The current going report is for good ground.

There are six scheduled races due to start at 12noon with a good entry of 78 horses. The course is well signposted off the A345 and can also be accessed off the A303.  There is free parking on the course with the cost of admission being £15 per person and under 16s free. As a special concession Young Farmers on production of evidence of membership can be admitted at the reduced cost of £10.In addition to the horse racing there will be food outlets, a bar, trade stands and the bookmakers to have a bet with. Do wrap up warm and wear suitable clothing for an afternoon on Salisbury Plain and see all the action up close!

The feature race is the Mens Open race sponsored by Ward Thomas Removals over the shorter trip of 2 and a half miles and this may see the reappearance of the prolific Grace A Vous Enki successful in his five visits to Larkhill last season including dead heating in the Coronation Gold Cup. Trained by Nicky Sheppard and ridden by James King he will be fancied to start the season with another victory. Of his potential rivals One For Rosie the winner of two races last season brings a touch of class, Saint Calvados who will be David Maxwell’s first ride in a point to point since 2018 and is another with high quality form under Rules and similar comments apply to My Drogo who won four Hurdles when trained by Dan Skelton and is now with Edward Walker. One True King has won eight races under Rules when with Nigel Twiston Davies and now with Bea Coward is an interesting recruit to pointing. Angels Breath is another with good form under Rules when trained by Sam Thomas. Now with Tim Vaughan he would have each way chances, but the selection is Grace A Vous Enki.

The Ladies Open race sponsored by Moore Barlow has attracted a strong entry of ten horses headed by I K Brunel trained by Alan Hill and to be ridden by his daughter in law Izzie. The winner of two races last season he looks the one to beat. Myth Buster always runs well for Lily Bradstock and has had the benefit of a race already this season. Switch Hitter might appreciate the drop into point to pointing and now with Sam Loxton he could find his form again. Diligent won at the course last season for Shannon Holmes and is sure to run well.

The meeting begins with a two and a half Maiden race sponsored by Rural Property Search and of those that have already raced Blackijo Dagrostis trained by Nicky Sheppard has had the benefit of a race this season and this may prove decisive. Josh Newman has his stable already in good form and the unraced Five Quarters and the ex-Irish Ted The Thief are worth considering. I Think He Is was fourth at Dunsmore and could well improve on that outing. The unraced He’ll Be Grand trained by Bradley Gibbs is another to consider in an intriguing race.

The Restricted race sponsored by Spraytek/Botley Commercials may be won by Kilfilum Woods trained by Fran Poste. Already the winner of a Maiden at Knightwick this season he could easily follow up under Zak Baker. Bruce Gobbler won a Maiden at Upcott Cross and is on the upgrade. Baunmore Jet won a Maiden in Ireland and is now with Katie Croft. Quickcharge has had some good flashes of form and may be the main danger to Fran Poste’s charge.

The Conditions race sponsored by BCM Wilson Hill has attracted seventeen entries including several entered in the two Open races including Myth Buster, Switch Hitter and My Drogo. If any of these opt for this race they would come into the reckoning. Paper Mill won his Intermediate at Dunsmore and this improving eight-year-old is one to follow. Lakota Warrior had a good season last year and now trained by Emma Summersby is one for the short list. The same comment applies to Duc de Bourbon runner up in a Mixed Open at Dunsmore for Sam Loxton. Pileon had a good season winning at Vauterhill on his final outing and must have each way chances. Paper Mill is the selection.

The meeting ends with the Equestrian Timber Maiden race for which there is also an entry of seventeen horses. The second , third and fourth  from the Maiden Race at Dunsmore, Hardy Buck , Always Force It and Kooky may reoppose and it will be interesting to see if the form is confirmed. The third and fourth from the Maiden race at Knightwick, Illitch and Celtic Harmony are others who will come on for their seasonal debuts. Southfield Scope, a half-brother to the prolific Southfield Theatre was runner up at Upcott Cross and looks a likely winner for his veteran owner Angela Yeoman. Others to note are Free The Lion placed three times last season and the two trained by Fran Poste Glancing Hill and Taymount who were both placed last season.

Larkhill Racecourse is to be found 5m NW of Amesbury, Nr A303, A345 and A360 – Postcode SP4 8QR. First race 12 noon Entry Costs on race day £15 per person by cash or card, children under 16 go free

Race 1:            Four and Five Yrs Maiden 2m4f 

1^st         Sinchi Roca

2^nd        Five Quarters

3^rd        Glancing Hill 

Runners:          11                    Distances:        5l, 5l                            Time 5m 29s

Race 2:            Ladies Open 

1^st         Myth Buster

2^nd        I K Brunel

3^rd        Millbank Flyer 

Runners:          10                    Distances:        3l, 8l                            Time: 6m 17s

Race 3:            Mens Open 2m4f 

1^st         Grace A Vous Enki

2^nd        One True King

3^rd        

Runners:          4                      Distances:        11l, l                            Time: 5m 25s

Race 4:            Restricted 

1^st         Kilfilum Woods

2^nd        Baumore Jet

3^rd        Quickcharge 

Runners:          5                      Distances:        14l, 3l                          Time: 6m 22s

Race 5:            Conditions (Level 2) 

1^st         Duc de Bourbon

2^nd        Paper Mill

3^rd        Ask A Honey Bee 

Runners:          10                    Distances:        2l, 5l                            Time: 6m 18s

Race 6:            Maiden 

1^st         Taymount

2^nd        Always Force It

3^rd        Hardy Buck 

Runners:          11                    Distances:        3l, 5l                            Time: 6m 26s

N/A

The first Larkhill meeting did not disappoint! The going after the recent rain was just about perfect, the weather cheered up after a very grey start and the sun came out, the runners were plentiful across the six races and a good crowd thoroughly enjoyed the racing. Fran Nimmo and her stable jockey Zac Baker enjoyed a double, Grace A Vous Enki continued his fine record at the Wiltshire course and a plan hatched in March bore fruit in the opening race.

This was a very competitive two-and-a-half-mile Maiden race where eleven horses faced the starter. James King made a very bold show to make all the running aboard Christopher Walker’s grey gelding Sweating Bullets but had just about been headed at the last fence by Sinchi Roca ridden by Tommie O’Brien when falling. This left the previously unraced four-year-old Getaway gelding to come clear under a jubilant and vociferous pilot to win by six lengths. Owned by Susan Macauley from Downpatrick Northern Ireland the gelding had been bred by her late husband Dennis who died last year. Dennis was the breeder of the brilliant Brave Inca to whom this gelding is related. Trained by her son-in-law Eamonn O’Donnabhain who is head lad to Tom Lacey in Herefordshire he admitted that ‘ it was quite an emotional victory for the family ‘ and that he and Tommie had targeted this race back in March. Having previously won this race two years ago with Matchadam when he first trained a winner in England Eamonn did indicate that the gelding may now be heading to the sales. His name apparently honours a leading figure in Inca history.

The ten entries for the Ladies race were all declared and after Millbank Flyer ridden by Isobel Lever had taken over the running approaching the final mile the chasing pursuers closed approaching the third last . Favourite I K Brunel ridden by Izzie Hill took it up after the second last but Lily Bradstock and Myth Buster stayed on strongly on the run in to score by just over two lengths. Showing the benefit of his seasonal outing at Dunsmore Sara Bradstock said that ‘ he did not really enjoy the tight turns at that track but the wide open spaces at Larkhill were much more to his liking’ He still shows the effect of his back operation he had whilst in Ireland but Sara added that ‘ he just wants to please and is a real stayer’

Grace a Vous Enki continued his love affair with Larkhill when comfortably winning the Mens Open race with his usual pilot James King having an armchair ride albeit jumping out to the left at most of his fences. Watched by his proud owner Joan Hitchings this was his sixth consecutive victory at Larkhill and his trainer’s husband Matt Sheppard indicated that’ he will be coming back for more at future meetings’. It will need a very good horse to lower his colours.

Kilfilum Woods backed up his win at Knightwick when easily winning the Restricted race. Acquired out of Paul Webber’s stable by Fran Poste for a syndicate of four owners, he was an eight-year-old Maiden but had been showing good form at home before he ran for the stable. Adapting different tactics this time by leading Zac reported that ‘he jumped better in front’ and showed’ how versatile he can be’

The Conditions race went to Duc De Bourbon ridden by Charlie Sprake and trained and owned by Sam Loxton. Previously in the ownership of Paul Nicholls and ridden in first outing last season by his daughter Olive the gelding does have a good partnership with Charlie and this was their second victory together. He stayed on well to defeat favourite Paper Mill ridden by Charlie Case and the pointing newcomer  Ask A Honey Bee ridden by Will Biddick. Sam has no immediate plans for the gelding but may consider running him in Hunter Chases later in the season. 

The final race, the Open Maiden, had a rather dramatic conclusion. Free the Lion ridden by Fionn Summers and Celtic Harmony ridden by Rian Corcoran were battling for the lead approaching the third last when Free the Lion fell and brought down his rival. At the next fence Ilitch the mount of Charlie Case who had been in contention fell leaving Taymount ridden by Zac Baker to stay on to hold off the effort of Always Force It ridden by Darren Andrews. Owned by Charlie and Fran Poste, she described him as ‘immature and still with much to learn’. A full brother to the useful Charles Ritz he is for sale and as Zac summed up has ‘lots of potential’